Various known coffee making appliances involve adding of coffee beans in one of various forms (i.e., ground or unground) to a container that is part of a machine in which heated water is delivered to the container and passes therethrough. The container typically includes a filtering mechanism so that heated water exiting the container is in the form of brewed coffee. Certain appliances require pre-ground coffee beans to be added in the form of “grounds.” Other appliances are designed to accept whole coffee beans into a hopper or opening and include mechanisms that grind the beans into a ground form and then complete the brewing process.
While existing appliances are generally suitable for what is regarded as ordinary performance, there is room for improvement in terms of ease of use and the quality of coffee produced by such appliances. In particular, existing appliances that both grind and brew coffee are prone to clogs during the grinding stage and may not produce a consistent extraction during the brewing stage. Moreover, changing over to a different roast or flavor of coffee bean is often tedious and time consuming, as is emptying the filter to ready another brewing cycle.
In view of the above, there is a need for a coffee making appliance that is capable of both grinding and brewing coffee quickly and easily, and which can be easily cleaned for subsequent use.